How to Animate in Procreate
Procreate has features that will allow you to animate a drawing and create a captivating animation of your creations. The simple tools and intuitive interface make it easy to create an animation. In this blog post, I will guide you in those steps, plus a couple of things to know and tips to ensure your animation is the best it can be. The video below shows the basic steps on how you can animate in Procreate.
Getting Started With Animation
Prior to making your animation, it is best to set up your canvas that is optimized for your final output. Select the appropriate dimensions and resolutions for your animation, as well as, consider the aspect ratio and target platform. Setting up the canvas properly will ensure that your animation is in the correct format and size for your project.
Basics of Animation in Procreate
Now that your canvas is set up, we will go over the basics about animation in Procreate.
Layering and Animation
Each layer represents a frame, allowing you to add and modify elements independently. Utilize this feature to create dynamic animations with multiple moving parts. Experiment with different layer blending modes and opacity settings to add depth and visual interest to your animations.
If you only need to modify and add elements to create an animation, I recommend starting with a complete drawing in a transparent or no background, duplicate this drawing, and then use the Selection tool to move objects around. You can repeat this step to create as many different frames as you want. Once you are ready to animate, create a solid background and then merge the background for each.
One trick to lengthen the animation is to simply copy and paste the animation set. If you only have three frames, you can duplicate those three to make six frames so your animation time is extended. This works great if you need to meet a minimum requirement of time to upload.
Frame-by-Frame Animation
Knowing that each layer represents a frame, you can create fun animation that has more movement and poses. If you want to create a more intricate animation that is not simply movement of objects, I recommend sketching the keyframes of your animation. Think of this like an old school way of traditionally drawing a flip book animation, but now in digital form. This is so you have an idea of how the animation moves from start to finish.
Below is an example of this:
How to Animate in Procreate
Now that your canvas is properly set up and you have an idea about how the frames work in Procreate, you can get started in creating your first animation!
1. Select the Wrench icon at the top right corner and select Canvas.
2. Toggle the Animation Assist to activate it.
3. A pop up panel at the bottom will appear. Select Settings to adjust your animation.
4. Enable the feature and choose your desired frame rate, onion skinning options, and playback settings. Onion skinning helps you see previous and upcoming frames, aiding in smoother animation transitions. Feel free to experiment and play with the settings that fit best for your animation. Use Add Frame to add frames in between.
How to Export an Animation from Procreate
Once your animation is ready, you can now export it.
Select the Wrench icon and click Share.
Under the Share Layers categories, you will see the various file formats:
Animated GIF
Animated PNG
Animated MP4
Animated HEVC
Choose a video format that will work best for your project. If you would like to share on Instagram or on another social media platform, I recommend exporting your animation as an MP4 file so you can further manipulate it in Canva or another video editing platform.
Good luck with your animation! Let me know what animation you are creating in the Comments section, I would love to know!
Happy creating,
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